Add as preferred source on Google

Jamie Carragher has claimed that Arsenal’s Emile Smith Rowe “totally destroyed” two Tottenham midfielders on Sunday in the north London derby.

Arsenal hold the bragging right over Spurs after their 2-1 victory against them at the weekend at the Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners are four points behind their rivals now in the Premier League table, but the result will surely give the fanbase and players a huge lift.

Sky Sports pundit Carragher highlighted Arsenal playmaker Smith Rowe as a standout performer on Sunday.

The 20-year-old English playmaker operated from a left-winger berth, but drifted infield at times to cause huge problems for the Spurs backline.

Carragher believes that Spurs’ central midfielders Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Tanguy Ndombele were left bamboozled when they had to try track his attacking runs, as Arsenal left-back Kieran Tierney provided the width.

“Massive problems from Emile Smith Rowe. More running, more sprints in this game than any player on the pitch,” he told Sky Sports’ Main Event channel (7:15pm, 15 March).

“Again, he’s off. This time Hojbjerg is chasing him and can’t keep up with him. This is the first time I’ve seen Tottenham’s two sixes (Hojbjerg and Ndombele) being totally destroyed by a number 10 from the opposition.”

TBR’s View:

Despite being aged just 20, Smith Rowe looked like one of the senior players on the pitch against Spurs, and proved too much to handle for the opposition.

His intelligent movement was a real issue, as Spurs right-back Matt Doherty didn’t know whether to go with the youngster or watch Arsenal’s advanced full-back.

Carragher believes the responsibility fell onto one of Spurs’ two central midfielders, who couldn’t get a grip on the game.

If Smith Rowe keeps developing at the rate he is, Arsenal may have yet another major gem to come out of the academy.